New Delhi, Nov. 13 : Visiting Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapakse today said that there was no question of ordering a cease-fire against the rebel Liberation Tigers for Tamil Ealam (LTTE), and added that his government would take all necessary steps to protect Tamils in Sri Lanka.

"Tamilians are our people; we have been taking care of them and we will take care," Rajapakse said.

Rajpakse told reporters in Delhi: "Since the last twenty years, we are witnessing this ceasefire. We will not allow terrorism to continue."

Colombo  – The Sri Lankan government has rejected an offer by Tamil rebels for a ceasefire in the northern part of the country where fighting continues as troops push forward to recapture rebel-held areas, a local newspaper said Monday.

The government's Defence Affairs spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that Tamil rebels would have to comply with the conditions set by the government to lay down arms and surrender to resume talks.

Chennai, Nov 9 : Television artists of Tamil Nadu observed hunger strike on Sunday to demonstrate solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils being allegedly killed by the island nation''s defence forces.

More than 500 actors and artists took part in a hunger strike in Chennai by the television and small screen Artists Association of the state.

The escalating conflict in northern Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil Tigers has roiled Indian politics.

Many parliamentarians from Tamil Nadu have threatened to resign from the Parliament in protest against the alleged inaction on the part of the Central government to stop government offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka.

Chennai, Nov 6 : Relief material comprising clothes, food and life saving drugs is ready to leave from Chennai for civilian population in conflict-hit northern Sri Lanka.

Nearly 80,000 relief packets containing necessary clothes and food material are ready to be transported to Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu government had decided to provide relief material to the island country, where Indian origin Tamil population is predominant.

Colombo - Government troops captured a strategic village held by Tamil separatist rebels as government forces continued their offensive to retake all of northern Sri Lanka, a military spokesman said Thursday.

The capture of the village in Akkarayankulam, 360 kilometres north of Colombo, came after nearly three months of fighting in the area.

The military released pictures of the captured area and said it was continuing its operations there.

Colombo - Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Wednesday congratulated US president-elect Barack Obama on his election victory and expressed confidence that Obama would support Sri Lankan counter-terrorism efforts.

"We are confident of your support for our efforts to forge a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka through the pursuit of democracy and countering terrorism", Bogollagama said.